Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1887-02-15

ing with the Natives--Runaway Dogs.
Hospitality to Traveiurs--A Sick Indian.
Roasting Salmon.
The Stecheon in length. width and vol
ume of water ranks among the great
rivers of the earth. II is the mighty
Amazon Of the north. If you can find
any reliable map of this country trace the
course of this river until it turns west
and you Will find trading post called
lonata; but as we could gain time in
going across the country instead of fol-
lowing the river TO this point, we brought
boats that are a combination If boat and
sledge. They are the native fat bottomed
ones, made by stretching sealskin over
wooden frame and fastening it there by
Walrus skin.
stirring trade was now started with
the natives for full supply of fur cloth
ing for the entire company, and prices
went up 200 per cent, the natives actu-
ally making prices according to the de
mand. The garments are a fur froCk with
= hood attached. fur pants. sack boots
and fur sleeping bag, all with the fur
inside or douhle-that is, made of two
skins in thickness
We took possession of n log house built
by some American in the past year, but
now unused We piled the earth well
round to the height of ten feet and put
up a Yankee cooking stove The natives
looked on with astonishmcnt at the spirit
and energy of the strangers.
To procure dogs was the all important
matter, hu; with the aid of the natives
they were soon obtaiped. and at high 12
one day, some months after landing we
set out. We started, cheerad on by the
shouts and salutes of firearms of those
left behind We followed the I-uirnlla
creek. the ice over which we drove was
covered with snow that was not hard
which made the sledripc heavy Soon
after striking this stream the banks be
came lined with spruce. fir and birch.
Many of the streams were large. One of
the sledges lost part of the bone with
which it was shod, making il draw heav-
lily. This provoked the dogs, who we're
10 better behaved than they should be
Two Of them gnawed their harness and
ran back home
A clear place on the bank was found
Just as the light began to fade. Here we
started Il fire and prepared to make our
first out door camp in Alaska Fire was
started, bacon was cooked and invigorat-
ing tea made. Refreshed by n good sun
per we rolled ourselves IN in our fur
bags AMI Law down to sleep with nothing
above us but the branches of the trees
and the blue sky. In the morning we
awokc refreshed, and found that four
more Of the dogs had gnawed loose and
left for home.
One driver went back after the run
away dogs aud after harnesSing IN we
started, some Of us helping the dogs in
the hard places After FIVE hours travel
we came to an Indian village. and as the
usual custom IS to assign a house to all
strange people we had one set aside for
us with a fire already built. and in order
| to keep the heat in the hole in the roof
Wa, covered The smoke. the retained
smell of stale fish, the odor of q group of
dogs mingled with perfumes of various
kinds, made it anything but desirable
place The hole was uncovered. the fire
replenlshed and the cooking commenced.
Tn atmosphere was becoming purer
when some dogs who were fighting on
the roof tumbled through the hole. The
pots were overturned and tbe room filed
with the srneu of burning hair
The people of this village were busy
making baskets, fish traps, snow shoes
| and sledces. The children were fat and
| happv. The owner placed A portion of his
| platform al our disposal We cleaned il
| of dirt. covered il with our furs and nro-
| ceeded to make ourselves at home.
| Fresh reindeer meat and wild fowl were
| procured and with hot biscuits gave ne
n good sumner
| We resolved TO await our dogs here and
| devote the time TO the study of Indian
| life and character Both sexes use
| tnhacco. Smokers generally discharge the
| smoke from the mouth. In this wsy
| much of the essence of the tobacco escapes
| These people swallow the smoke. and in
| this wav lodge about the stomach and
| lungs what would otherwise be lost,
| We had an appIication from sick
| Indian. who asked to he cured and said
| Much hrrt herer' We annlied a blister
| of Snanisb nv and the nart rnorrinc, tbf
| invalid WINS in biqb snirite We evnected
to find the breast raw, but the blister had
| only left a clean spot on his skin The
man was cured, and our reputation as
| good and great medicine men was estab.
lished.
| up stream Tor several days and halted Gt
ahother lnulah village 1or rest. Here
seVerai warm springs Kept the water free
from ice at I'll tlmes. Here the finest
S"lIioh o"ouhu' ana Wheh all othei
sources ,, 1l 1000 laii' give support TO the
en'ire 'lIidEe aila many people rouna
aooul, 0tlchs thrust through one OF
Inese nsii as ne coliies "rI'hlng from the
water ana heid over the llre without fur-